Combination fender and lamp brace



Get. 30, 1923.

R. J. E. HICKS COMBINATION FENDER AND LAMP BRACE Filed Dec. 30, 1922 attorney tween ROY J1. E. HICKS, F BAY CITY, TEXAS.

COMBINATION FENDER AND LAM? BRACE.

Application tiled December so, 1922. Serial Ho. 609,910.

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, ROY J. E. HICKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bay City, in the county of Matagorda and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Combination Fenders and Lamp Braces, of which the following is a specification, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in combination tender and lamp braces, and an important object of the invention is to pro vide a fender brace which is so constructed as to be adaptable to fenders of different widths as well as to fenders having difierent spaces therebetween.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fender brace having means in conjunction therewith for engaging the frame of the headlights for the purpose of steadying the same to thereby prevent breakage of the lenses of the headlights and the filaments supplying the light therefor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied to any vehicle and having means in conjunction therewith whereby the starting crank of the vehicle may be held in proper position and against movement causing annoyance due to the sound produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in its construction and durable and eflicient in service.

These and other objects 1' attain by the construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a vehicle showing a brace constructed in accordance with my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a slightly modified form of brace;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the form of brace shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a similar View showing a brace employed of the construction illustrated in Fi re 2; and

igure 5 is a perspective of the lamp brace.

Referring now more particularly to, the drawings, the numeral indicates a bar adapted to be arranged transversely of the forward end of the vehicle and in advance of the radiator 11 thereof. The bar is provided upon opposite ends thereof with means, generally indicated at 12, for engaging fenders 13 of the vehicle, adjacent each end with means, generally indicated at 14, for engaging the headlights 15 to steady the same, and centrally with means, generally indicated at 16, for engaging the crank 17 of the vehicle to hold the same against movement. If desired, the bar 10 may likewise be provided with clips 18 by means of which a license tag may be'secured thereto to be supported thereby. The bar 10 may be either formed of a single length of material, as indicated in Figure 1, or from a pairof sections 10 and 10 connected centrally by a yoke 10.

The bar 10 has the ends thereof screwthreaded, as indicated at 19, for a considerable length. The fender clamping or engaging means 12 is formed to provide a fender bridging member 20 having atone end thereof a hook 21 for engaging the outer edge of a fender 13 and. upon its opposite end with a flattened sprin section 22 which is bowed upwardly from t e bridging member and provided with aligned apertures 23 through which the threaded end 19 of the bore 10 upon which it is mounted extends. A second hook 24: for engaging the inner edge of a fender is provided, this hook either being formed integrally with the inner end of the bowed spring section 22, as indicated in Figure 1, or' separately therefrom, as indicated in Figure 2. In the latter construction the upper end of the hook member is provided with an openin 25 for receiving the end of the bar 10 and is arranged upon the bar inwardl 'of the inner end of the spring bow 22. he bar 10 has mounted upon the threaded portion thereof nuts 26, a pair of the nuts being provided and one of the nuts engaging against the inner end of the spring bow 22 or the upper end of the hook portion 24 as the case may be, and the other thereof engaging against the outer portion of the spring how 22. The last mentioned nut serves as a means for ad'usting the space between the hooks 21 o the relation. The first mentioned nut serves to move the hook 24 into engagement with the inner edge of the fender to lock the bracing bar in position with relation to the fender.

Each bar 10 is formed adjacent the ends thereof with a section permitting rotative engagement of the headlight engaging means 14. As clearly shown in Figure 5 this headlight engaging means is in the form of a sheet of metal provided at its upper end with a loop 27 rotatably engaging the bar 10 and at its lower end with a clamp 28 having a spring clamping engagement with the flange rim 29 employed on the headlights 15 for maintaining the lens thereof in position. It will be seen that by exerting a slight pressure upon the lower ends of the headlight engaging means 14, the same may be disengaged from the headlight and the means 14 subsequently rotated to permit removal of the headlight lens for interchangement of the bulbs or for any other purpose. The means 16 for holding the crank 17 comprises a cufl 30 adapted to slidably embrace the hand engaged portion 31 of the crank 17 and to which is secured one end of a spring 32, the opposite end of which is secured to the bar 10 or to the yoke 10 connecting the sections 10 and 10 of the bar 10, as the case may be.

From the foregoing it is believed to be oh vious that a combined brace constructed in accordance with the foregoing will not only brace the fenders but the headlights and will likewise prevent undue movement of the crank. It will furthermore be obvious that the same may be readily applied to the vehicle and is capable of some change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure as hereinbefore set forth except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim In combination with a vehicle including headlights and wheel fenders, a bar extending transversely of the forward end of the vehicle and provided at its ends with means for engaging said fenders to hold the same against movement, and means carried by said bar adjacent each end thereof having at its lower end a clamp for releasably engaging the adjacent headlight comprising a plate rotatably mounted upon the bar and having at its free end a spring clamp adapted for engagement in the flange rim of the headlight.

In testimony whereof I' hereunto afiix my signature.

ROY J. E. HICKS. 

